


X Mas

by Gangstertogangster



Category: Luke Cage (TV), The Defenders (Marvel TV)
Genre: Christmas, Christmas Fluff, Multi
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-12-25
Updated: 2020-12-29
Packaged: 2021-03-11 05:01:00
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 4,813
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28319376
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Gangstertogangster/pseuds/Gangstertogangster
Summary: Christmas in Harlem with the Stokes-Dillard-Alvarez-Jones familyFeaturing IrisOfParadise's version of Richard Fisk in chapter 1, as well as a mention of her version of Lucy Rand.
Relationships: Shades Alvarez/Darius "Comanche" Jones, Shades Alvarez/Mariah Dillard
Comments: 2
Kudos: 1





	1. Chapter 1

The two preteens sat at the Alvarez dining room table. 

Richard laughed as Honor explained how Christmas dinner was going down. 

“Janis AND your uncle?” 

“Yep. Darius and his mama are coming. And Tilda.” 

“And Tilda?! But she and Darius hate each other!” 

“And Janis hates my mom. Mami in turn hates her and Darius. So it’ll be merry as hell. Rich can you please come over?” 

“I don’t celebrate Christmas, you know that. Me and my parents and Wesley and Maya are all gonna go eat Michelin star dim sum, it’s tradition. Also Hernan still hates me.” 

Honor rolled her eyes. “I wish I didn’t celebrate it either. He likes you better. That’s just how papi is.” 

“Your parents probably got you everything you wanted, you’ll wake up to a mountain of presents,” Richard pointed out, “Christmas will be great for you.” 

Honor sipped her peppermint mocha. She suddenly remembered something and shuddered. She said, “Oh yeah, and Alex and his mom are coming.” 

Richard spit out his own sip of gingerbread latte. He could not stop laughing. Honor shoved him. 

Richard whined, “Hey, no fair!” He gave her a playful nudge back. 

“What’s good, Fisk,” came an icy voice from the hall. There Honor’s dad stood. 

“Uh...Hernan...sorry…” 

“Why are you calling him Hernan?” Honor hissed at Richard. 

Richard turned bright red. “Sorry Mr. Alvarez. I was just heading out.” 

“No need. Stay as long as you want,” Hernan said in a steely tone. He stood by them. 

“What’re you doing for Christmas tomorrow?” Asked Hernan. 

Honor groaned. “Papi he’s Jewish!” 

Now it was Herman’s turn to look embarrassed. “Sorry,” Hernan quickly said, genuinely apologetic. 

Richard nodded, assured him, “No hard feelings Mr. Alvarez.” 

Honor cleared her throat. 

“Where’s Mariah?” Said Richard. 

Hernan shot him a warning look. 

Richard immediately turned red again. “Mrs. Stokes-Dillard-Alvarez?” 

“Mrs. Alvarez is out shopping,” Hernan answered calmly. “I’m just gonna run out to get some last minute shopping done myself.” 

He nodded farewell at Richard, kissed his daughter on the head and left. 

Honor and Richard just looked at one another. 

“I didn’t think your dad would be worried about being PC,” Richard laughed. 

“He doesn’t want you to think he’s racist. He wants his hate to be unprejudiced.” 

“Oxymoron of the day,” Richard quipped. 

Honor rolled her eyes at him again. 

Richard smiled, “Close your eyes.” 

Honor looked at him funny. “Why?” 

“I got you a present.” 

“It better be a Fendi baguette, Rich.” 

“What the fuck, Honor?” Richard laughed, “No, it’s a regular present.”

“Why should I close my eyes then?” Honor asked. 

“Because we’re friends and I asked.” 

“You didn’t ask, you commanded.” 

“Fine. PLEASE close your eyes?” 

Honor sighed and shut her eyes. Richard rifled through his messenger bag and pulled out a nicely wrapped, bulky, rectangular present that felt right away to the touch like clothing. 

Honor opened her eyes and carefully unwrapped it. It was a pink scarf. Honor smiled tightly, paused, and said “Thanks...I like it”. While she was busy examining the scarf, Richard pulled out another gift. It was a small thick square wrapped elegantly. 

Honor’s eyes lit up. “Another one? Damn, I only got you one!” she exclaimed. 

“There were eight nights, you didn’t need to skimp,” Richard joked. 

She opened the smaller gift. It was in a little black velvety box. She opened it up and saw a rose-gold bracelet. She noticed upon looking closer at it that it had her name, “Honor,” inscribed on the band. 

She grinned wide and hugged him tight. 

“‘It’s a friendship bracelet but bougie,” Richard explained, “You really thought I’d give you an off the rack scarf?” 

“Vasya is trippin’ if she doesn’t realize how much she could get from going out with you!” Honor laughed. 

“I got HER a Fendi baguette,” Richard laughed. Honor playfully shoved him again. 

Richard asked, “What’re you getting for Lucy?” 

Honor blushed deeply. She took a breath and said, “Some of that Dungeons and Dragons crap. Like planners and D20s and stuff. I tried mainly for green colored stuff since she likes green and all…” 

Richard nodded. He couldn’t help cracking a sly smile. 

Honor scowled at him. “Don’t you dare tell, I’m serious,” she cautioned. 

Richar just went back to the gingerbread latte in front of him. 

  
  



	2. Chapter 2

Mariah and Hernan were at the dining room table while Honor slept. 

They drank coquitos, talked about how the following day would go. 

“Remember our first Christmas?” Hernan mused. 

“Yeah, I kicked you out of bed,” Mariah answered matter-of-factly. 

Hernan sighed and said, “I didn’t mind.”

“Good, ‘cause I’m not sorry,” Mariah pointed out. 

Hernan smiled, moved on. “You remember what I got you?” 

“A giant-ass diamond necklace, looked too heavy to wear,” Mariah said. 

“It wasn’t that big, it wasn’t a Slick Rick type…” 

“Doesn’t need to be Slick Rick to be too big.” 

Hernan went back to his drink. 

“We gotta eat these cookies for Santa,” Mariah said, reaching for the plate of cookies Honor left out. She grabbed a frosted gingerbread cookie, closing her eyes as she tasted it. Honor was already an amazing baker. 

Hernan reached for one also, savoring it. He noticed the plate, said, “There’s only two cookies on that plate. You think she knows?” 

“Who cares?” Mariah said, “At least she’s considerate. Except for that ‘carrot for the reindeer’ bullshit. Since when do kids leave carrots out for reindeer?” 

Hernan shrugged. 

Mariah said, “I didn’t do anything with Tilda on the holidays. I preferred not to look at her.” 

Hernan held his wife’s hand. She hesitated, then squeezed it. 

Mariah added, “They don’t get easier, holidays with her. If Cornell were here he could play music or something and he’d act as a buffer or distraction…” 

Hernan looked into her eyes, concerned. He said softly, “We don’t need to think on him right now.” 

Mariah nodded. 

She cleared her throat. After a pause she said, “Che better watch his mouth in my house…” 

Hernan sighed exasperatedly. “Janis will be there, she’ll keep him in check.” 

“The bitch hates me too.” 

“Che will be fine. Honor’s excited to see him on Christmas day, she’ll take up his time.”

Mariah scoffed. 

Hernan leaned in and kissed her. 

“Everything will be cool,” He whispered to her, sending shivers down her spine. 

“It’s getting late,” Mariah said gently, “We should get to bed.” She stroked the back of his neck in that way that meant ‘let’s do it.’ 

She got up, and he followed. 

As they lay in bed together, Hernan said guiltily, “I forgot Richard’s Jewish. I asked him about Christmas.” 

Mariah groaned, “How did you not know? Don’t you pay attention?” 

Hernan huffed, leaning back. “I forgot somehow.” 

Mariah rolled her eyes, turning to fall asleep on her pillow. 

‘’Tomorrow better not be shit,” Mariah said out of nowhere. 

“It’ll be merry enough,” Hernan smiled, kissing her goodnight.


	3. Chapter 3

Honor ran down the stairs that morning straight to the Christmas tree. She almost slipped on her way down but she was undeterred. 

Mariah groaned as she heard the excited sounds of her daughter in the early morning. 

“Hernan...what time is it…” She mumbled. 

He checked the watch on his nightstand. “Five AM,” He yawned. 

Mariah lay her head back down on her pillow. 

“You know she wants us to come down with her,” Hernan said, getting out of bed and putting on his slippers. 

“MAMA! PAPI! CHRISTMASTIME!” Honor yelled. 

“WAIT A DAMN MINUTE, HONOR!” Mariah shouted. 

Hernan blinked, trying to adjust to his two screaming girls. 

Mariah grumbled, “I’m old! How the hell am I supposed to wake up at 5 AM?” Still, she got up and put on her robe. It was too cold for just silk pajamas. 

Hernan thought so too and did likewise. 

Honor was touching and feeling all her presents to try and figure out which were bound to be particularly great. 

She looked at the Santa plate and smiled when she saw at least two of the cookies were eaten and the milk gone and the carrot in bits. 

It wasn’t long before her parents descended the stairs to join her. 

“Merry Christmas, mami,” Hernan smiled at his daughter, picking her up and kissing her head. 

“Merry Christmas to you, papi!” Honor beamed. 

“Merry Christmas, baby,” Mariah smiled at her. 

“Merry Christmas, mama!” 

Hernan put Honor down and Mariah gave her a warm hug. 

Then they got to opening presents. Honor oohed and aahed at all the different gifts from Santa and mom and dad. Particularly the pink Chanel bag. But the one she was most thrilled with was the one in the small rectangular shape. She opened the glasses case and found brand new Ray-Bans Wayfarer sunglasses, kid sized. They were black, just as Hernan’s had been. 

“It’s time you had a pair of your own. Just be good when you wear them,” Hernan instructed, looking into Honor’s eyes. 

Honor carefully put the sunglasses down and hugged him tight. Then she immediately went back to put them on. 

Mariah couldn’t resist snapping pictures of all this on her phone. 

Hernan, who had been taking pictures and videos on his phone the whole time, definitely captured his daughter in those shades. He felt the tiniest tinge of regret but a whole lot more pride. 

Hernan gave Mariah her present. She opened it and her eyes widened. Brand new platinum earrings in exactly her style. She kissed him in return, but Honor groaned at the sight of her parents kissing. 

Honor went back to her presents, mainly new clothing she specifically had told her parents about and put on her Christmas wish list and letter to Santa in detail. 

She didn’t notice her parents kissing again as Hernan unwrapped his present from Mariah. It was a new, unused and pristine photo album. 

“For new memories,” Mariah whispered in his ear. He hummed and kissed her again. Now Honor noticed and made gagging noises. Hernan and Mariah broke away, looking at their daughter as she burst out laughing. 

It was a freezing cold morning in Harlem. But it wasn’t all ice and sludge, it was snowing steadily. Honor gazed out the window at the falling snow, while unbeknownst to her, Hernan took a pic of her watching. 

Mariah got up and whispered in his ear, “Why you gotta be the paparazzi? She’s just looking out the window.” 

Hernan shook his head and smiled, replying softly, “I still want to take the pic, she looks so happy.” 

He gave his phone to Mariah and she looked at the photos. She nodded, relenting a little. “Yeah, she does,” she smiled. 

“What are you gossiping about?” Honor whined. 

“Your papi wanted a picture of you looking at the snow!” Mariah answered, 

“Aww papi why you gotta sneak a pic of me?” Honor said, giggling. 

“Here, I’ll show you and if you don’t like it I can delete it.” 

Honor looked at her dad’s picture of her. She inspected it tilted her head at last and said, “OK, fine. When’s breakfast?” 

Mariah looked at Hernan and asked, “Yeah, when’s breakfast?” 

Hernan sighed and said, “I’ll go make the pancakes,” and headed into the kitchen. 

“Don’t forget to put coffee on!” Mariah called to him. 

Honor ran upstairs with her clothing and bags and books, Mariah calling after her, “Take more trips, don’t drop your presents all over the floor!” 

She looked at her phone. She looked at the real Christmas tree and the presents, thought of how she never did that for Tilda. She would always tell Tilda how messy trees were, how they’d wreck the floors, and she may have told a young Tilda that Santa wasn’t real. She couldn’t remember. 

_I’ll be damned if I do that to Honor_ , Mariah thought. 

Tilda was coming over today. With her husband’s ex-lover and his ex-lover’s mother. 

What a fun day it would be. But the most important thing would be to make Honor’s Christmas perfect. 

Mariah went into the kitchen. Hernan was flipping the pancakes. She waited for him to notice her behind him, but he knew she was there. He turned off the stove and set the plate and spatula aside. 

He said to her, “What’s up?” 

“Nothing,” Mariah said. “Breakfast smells good.” 

“What’s up?” He asked again. 

“I told T that Santa wasn’t real, when she was a kid.” 

“As long as you don’t tell Honor, you’re good,” Hernan assured her. 

Mariah gave him a side eye. Hernan recognized his mistake. 

He tried again.”You changed and you’re different. Tilda’s grown and she sees that. She sees you.” 

He held her in his arms and she rested her head against him. She sighed with satisfaction. He broke away a little to lean in, cup her face in his hands and kiss her. 

They stayed kissing for a moment, then she pulled away. 

“I’m hungry, let’s get Honor down here,” Mariah smiled. 

Hernan nodded, turned back to the pancakes. 

Mariah mumbled “I need my strength for dealing with her AND Che anyway.” Hernan pretended not to hear. 

She texted Honor, and Honor once more bounded down the stairs. 

As they sat down to eat, Honor asked, “When will Tilda get here? When will Tio Darius get here? And Janis?” 

Hernan looked at Mariah next to him. She just said calmly, “When they get here. Now, eat your breakfast.” 

Honor did as she was told, drenching her pancakes in syrup. 

"Thanks, papi!" Honor grinned at her dad. 

He smiled back, "You're welcome, baby." 

Honor then thought for a moment and said, "Mama, I know you don't like Darius but I want to see him." 

Mariah instantly gave her a warning look, which Honor knew meant _mind your business._

"Mama likes everyone, baby," Hernan told Honor. 

Honor decided to change the subject. "What was Christmas like with Tilda?" 

Mariah nearly choked on her pancake. 

"It was real good," Mariah said as confidently as she could, "I bet she has lots of stories to tell you." 

Honor nodded politely. 

She tried again, "Maybe since Janis is coming, Tilda and Tio can get along for once."

"They get along fine, baby," Mariah told her with a little steel in her tone. 

Honor sucked her teeth.

Hernan wanted to restart the whole meal. Instead, he told her, "Hey, you wanna watch my favorite Christmas movie after breakfast? It's Darius' too. I think you're old enough." 

Mariah stared at her husband and kid, but noticed Honor instantly get more excited and let it go and turned back to her food. 

"What's it called?' 

"Die Hard," Hernan smiled. 

Honor looked at him a little confused, said, "For real?" 

Hernan said "Yeah, for real." 

Honor got up and hugged him, as Mariah mouthed "thank you" to her husband. 


	4. Chapter 4

Honor was hanging out in her room, texting back and forth with Lucy. She’d gotten clean and dressed and everything for Christmas dinner. Now all there was left was to kill time and stay out of the way before the guests arrived. 

“Mama got papi an actual big photo album!” she told Lucy. 

“Why? We have iPhones now,” Lucy replied. 

“I guess to be romantic or something. Papi loves taking pictures always.”

“That’s cute tho,” Lucy said. 

“You get my present?” Honor asked. 

“I did! Thanks!!” Lucy replied. “You get mine?” 

"Tickets for Paris?? Thankss!!! When we wanna go??” 

“Maybe over spring break? Talk to ur parents tho.” 

“You talk to yours???” 

“Yep. I talked to dad. Tell Hernan. He and my dad are close.” 

“Good thinking. Papi and Danny are all good.” 

“I got a new basketball hoop for the backyard!”

“Niiice!!!” 

“Here’s something for your mom’s Christmas,” Honor wrote, “Tio Darius is coming over for dinner. You KNOW how much mama hates him.” 

A series of cry laugh emojis from Lucy followed. 

  
  


As Honor smiled and giggled and texted as she waited, Mariah was resisting the urge to drink some vodka. 

She and Hernan were busy preparing the food. They were over caffeinated and stressed, fixing the food on maybe six hours of sleep. Which wasn’t nearly enough sleep to get through today. 

“This is why I like catering,” Mariah muttered. 

Hernan got a forkful of some greens and put it in front of Mariah. She bit it off the fork, nodded, assured him, “Good.” 

They had the ham baking and the Mac and cheese and the candied yams were all done. 

Mariah and Hernan both worked on the Mac and cheese, the yams, and the dressing. 

“I didn’t want you to work on this all by yourself,” Mariah said, instantly regretting her words. 

That was too sappy. But she meant it, strangely enough. She really felt a twinge in her heart, and felt funny about just leaving Hernan to all the cooking on his own. He could do it, but he was spreading himself thin. And she needed him at his most alert in case Che stepped out of line. 

“You didn’t have to,” Hernan said. 

“We’re partners, remember?” Mariah teased. 

Hernan felt his heart beat fast and his head rush. Those words were the best present he could expect. He tried to hide his blushing from her. 

“I think you actually like cooking,” Hernan said. 

“On my own time,” Mariah told him, “And Mama Mabel was much better.” 

“Don’t matter,” Hernan said, offering her a taste of the Mac and cheese. She was in heaven. She nodded and said, after a little moan of pleasure, “good.” 

“Good thing Honor took care of desserts,” he added, “I’m not great at it.” 

Mariah frowned, knowing he was fishing for compliments. She wouldn’t bite. 

  
  


Meanwhile Honor got restless and texted Darius. 

“When you gonna be here?” She asked. 

“Soon, mami,” was his response. 

  
  


Tilda was first to arrive. 

She was shaking mainly from the cold but also from nerves. She held her contribution to dinner in hand. She made some jerk chicken, from John’s family’s recipe. Inject some McIver into the damn Stokes house. 

She also had presents in a giant Mother’s Touch reusable tote bag she’d brought along. 

She knocked on the door. Mariah answered it. 

“Hey, sweetie! Merry Christmas!” She said, her tone still a little too sugary. 

“Merry Christmas, mommy,” Tilda answered. 

The two women hugged and kissed. 

“I’ll take your coat,” Mariah said, eager to just get things moving along. 

Tilda sighed, said, “Thanks,” and allowed Mariah to gather her coat and hand it up in the closet. 

Honor, who was waiting in the living room, immediately got off her phone, said goodbye to Lucy and jumped up once she realized Tilda had come. 

Honor ran to her and gave her a big hug, and Tilda held her tight, saying, “Merry Christmas, Honor!” 

“Merry Christmas to you too T!” Honor said, happy as could be. “You got a present for me? I got one for you!” 

Tilda laughed, “You know it!” She reached into her tote bag and pulled out a wrapped gift. 

“Can I have a Mother’s Touch bag also?” Honor asked. 

Tilda said, “Sure, next time you’re in the shop, I'll give you one to keep, for shopping with. Helps save our planet.” 

Honor made a brief note of this and then instantly turned to the present. She unwrapped it and saw the intricate necklace with a figurine in the shape of a person.

“It’s a worry doll necklace,”’ Tilda explained, “It will help you manage your fears and worries.” 

Mariah was a little stunned, since she thought she was doing an OK job with that as Honor’s mother. Mariah folded her arms but she softened when she saw how delighted Honor was, how Honor immediately went to hug Tilda, and ecstatically thanked her. She couldn’t shake that persistent sour feeling, though. 

“Richard gave me jewelry also, it was a pink bracelet with my name carved on it,” Honor told Tilda. 

Tilda said, “Richard has a thing for you now? I thought he was crushing on that Murdock girl…” 

“T, he still is! We’re just friends and he knows it.” 

Tilda smiled and nodded. 

She handed Mariah her gift next. Mariah, tentative, opened it. It was a wood carving of a sun and moon. 

“I got it on my last trip to Jamaica,” Tilda said smugly, “You love art and I figured you didn’t have this.” 

“It’s lovely, sweetie,” Mariah said, trying to hide her annoyance. She knew why Tilda went and who Tilda was there for. 

Hernan and Tilda greeted each other icily, but as civil as they could manage. Honor wanted to show Tilda her new presents and her bedroom, so Tilda immediately said of course. 

Tilda also said, “I got Hernan something, it’s in the bag.” She handed the foil wrapped dish to him, instructed, “Put this in the kitchen please,” and smirked as she went up the stairs to follow her little sister. 

Hernan and Mariah exchanged looks. 

“She got me some Jamaican art from one of her little pleasure trips with Bushmaster.” 

“It’s the thought that counts,” Hernan said. 

Mariah rolled her eyes. 

Hernan tried again, “We haven’t heard shit from him in over a decade, he’s not gonna try anything now.” 

Mariah sighed, looked up the stairs. “You think I got her gifts she likes?” 

“WE got her everything she asked for,” Hernan said, moving his hands to her hips, drawing her nearer. 

He said softly to her, “Like I said, it’s the thought that counts.”

Just then, there was a knock at the door. Mariah went to answer it, immediately regretting having done so. 

Darius and his mother had now arrived. 


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I don't know why I decided to have Janis be antagonistic towards Mariah. 
> 
> I liked the idea and went with it.

Janis and Darius both exchanged less than warm Christmas greetings to Mariah, who put on her fakest smile. 

With Hernan, both were much more friendly. Mariah and Hernan worked on this stuff with Dr. Jones, but she still couldn’t help feel a bitter taste in her mouth when she saw her husband and Darius embrace. 

Janis and Tilda got acquainted with one another, and began talking about medicines, which treatments were best for what. 

Tilda and Darius just avoided one another, which was easy for both to do since Honor instantly tackled Darius and gave him as big a hug as she could manage. He lifted her up as she giggled and shrieked. 

“I’m grown! Put me down, Darius!” Honor laughed. 

“You ain’t that grown yet, mama,” Darius told her, though he put her down. 

“Ch...Darius, you being good to my kid?” Hernan asked playfully. Even after all these years he still couldn’t help but instinctually use his friend’s street name. 

“Always! I spoil her rotten!” Darius said. 

Mariah cut in, “Just don’t spoil her too bad,” watching him like a hawk. 

Janis handed Honor a wrapped gift, which the child immediately tore into. It was a new doll, one that resembled her. 

“I saw her in the store and I had to get it for you, baby, it reminded me of you so much,” Janis told her. 

Honor thanked her and gave her a kiss and a hug. 

Darius’ present to her was the Fendi baguette. Honor’s eyes lit all the way up. She screamed her thanks and hugged Darius up again. 

"How did you know??" 

"You think your daddy ain't say'?" 

Honor smiled and ran upstairs to keep it safe. 

Janis stared and wondered aloud, “What’s wrong with the doll?” 

Hernan clarified, "She _thinks_ she outgrew toys, but she's gonna love it."

"She takes after me, I thought that way too," Mariah mused. 

"She's not your blood, I thought..." Janis observed. 

Mariah and Hernan exchanged looks, Hernan trying to convey apologies through his stare.

Dinner was peaceful enough, though little conversation happened. Plates were fixed and piled high and compliments went around the dining room table. Honor kept asking about dessert, telling everyone about the red velvet cake and the sweet potato pie she baked. She begged for some more kiddie coquito, but Mariah told her to finish her dinner first. 

If not for Honor, it would have been mostly silent. 

After dinner, Hernan and Darius laughed and talked and joked, Tilda and Honor went towards the piano to play some music, Honor mainly requesting songs, while the two older women didn’t really know what to do with themselves. 

Janis decided to initiate conversation with Mariah. She approached the hostess and sat beside her with her own cup of coffee. 

There was a pause between them after 

“What was Hernan like as a kid?” Mariah asked Janis. 

“Shy as hell!” Janis laughed. 

Mariah laughed too. “I can actually see that, he used to hide behind his shades so much even when I met him!” 

“He got into them from that Top Gun movie, you know!” Janis laughed. 

“He told me that’s what the first pair looked like!” Mariah exclaimed. 

“Hernan and Darius got into trouble a lot, they stole a whole bunch of hot dogs from Nathan’s at Coney Island one time. I beat Darius good for it, though,” Janis said. 

“I bet it was Hernan’s idea,” Mariah laughed. 

“Looking back, I bet it was too,” Janis smiled. She went on, “You know, you remember Hernan from late but he always says he knew you from when he was little.” 

“Cornell had a lot of admirers, and Mabel did too,” Mariah guessed, “Everyone was around that place.” 

“I didn’t want him hanging around there too much. He was influenced too easily,” Janis said. 

“He’s mostly good at influencing others,” Mariah corrected. 

“He was bullied so often and the only one really ever there for him for so long, longer than you or I, was Darius.” 

“Hernan told me,” Mariah informed her, her tone losing warmth. 

“They know one another better than anyone else might,” Janis said, doubling down. 

“Hernan and I know each other quite well,” Mariah pressed. However she still noticed Hernan and Darius cracking each other up on the couch, felt jealousy creep up. 

“It helps they know each other from way back, and that they’re the _same age_ ,” Janis pointed out. 

Mariah instantly grew colder. She still kept on her friendly facade. She said, plenty of ice in her voice, “My husband married _me_ , not your son.” And got up. 

Hernan clocked the hostility, he tried to ignore it, but that last remark was just over the line. 

He approached his wife and ushered her back into the kitchen. 

“What the hell was that for?” 

“She’s doing your boy’s dirty work, I won’t let her.” 

“It’s Christmas! You and I said we’d all get along.” 

“Why you telling me? Why not talk to her!” 

Hernan looked at her, pained and frustrated. “You gotta respect her. She was there for me just as he was. You gotta do that.” 

Mariah glared at him, left the kitchen without another word. 

Honor heard the talk between Janis and her mom but then also snuck near to the kitchen to listen in on her parents. She sighed, felt confused. But also really tired. She decided to go upstairs to take a short nap. 

Meanwhile, Tilda approached Janis. 

“My mother is stubborn, don’t pay her any mind,” Tilda told her. 

“Thanks,” Janis said, patting her hand. 

Tilda sat beside her and they instantly began talking about Mariah. 

When the women saw Hernan come back, Tilda left just as he approached Janis. 

She couldn't resist giving him a look before she got up, because he was, after all, Hernan, and he got on her nerves so bad. 

“Janis, hey, what’s good?” 

“I’m doing alright, Hernan. I didn’t mean to offend Mariah. I was just trying to tell her how close you and Darius were always.” 

Hernan instantly felt things fall into place. He sighed.   
  


He went back to the kitchen. “You and Janis just need to not talk,” he told his wife. 

“Fine by me,” Mariah said. 

  
  
Dessert was next and it featured the same tense peace that was developed over dinner. Honor slept through it. Hernan went to check on her upstairs and kissed her on the head before returning back down. 

Afterwards, Tilda went back to the piano to sing and play while everyone did their own thing. 

“Your wife can’t speak that way to my moms, B,” Darius informed his friend. 

“They just...need to not talk. That’s what I told Mariah.”   
  
“That all?” 

“We all need to get along, got it?” Hernan said. “No disrespect from any of you to the other.”   
  
Darius shrugged, nodded, said “Bet.” 

"My kid hears this shit, how the hell am I explaining this to her?" 

Darius huffed. "Alright, B, got it."   
  
  
By the time everyone left Mariah was exhausted. She needed something stronger than coquito. She needed alcohol now more than ever.   
  
Honor approaching her made her pause, put the gg

“You mad at me too?” Mariah asked her. 

“No,” Honor shook her head. She planned to text Richard and Lucy her thoughts. 


End file.
